A morning of Ruddock-speak interpreted

29 July 2003

News this morning, including tapes allegedly of Minister Ruddock aired on Four Corners last night and AM this morning, require interpretation to make them accord with reality, according to Howard Glenn, National Director of A Just Australia.

"One of the big concerns raised in the public meetings I've been attending around the country is the that the public doesn't believe the government on refugee and security policy, yet the government gets away with it", Mr Glenn said.

"The continued deception and double-speak arise because Australians of good will would not stand for what is happening if the truth were told. This encourages us to work harder to expose this truth.

"Therefore, we offer some important interpretations of today's news:

'Manus Island to be mothballed' - the three "human bookmarks", kept there in past months while the agreement with the PNG government is renegotiated and challenged in the PNG High Court, are finally allowed to leave.

'Australia to increase the numbers from off-shore detention centres' - those people who were pushed to Nauru in 2001, granted refugee status, but kept in detention for almost two years now, are finally to be allowed to come to Australia like so many others, despite the Prime Minister's election vow that they would never set foot here. The rest of the folk on Nauru, mostly not given refugee status on the technicality that the Taliban fell while they were in transit, are facing a third year in detention. This breakthrough happened, as expected, when we were finally able to get someone to visit Nauru, through the government's media and human rights blockade. We look forward to Senator Bartlett's report on his trip this week.

'Family Court to decide on children in detention' - major community welfare agencies have long offered to house children with their families securely in the community while the cumbersome court processes continue. The Minister has power to authorise this - his choice is the only reason why the Family Court has to decide whether it is better for the children to be removed from both detention and their family.

'I look after my friends, ha, ha, ha' - tapes aired on Four Corners last night and AM this morning make disturbing allegations of a Minister engaged in background briefing of journalists and micro-management of policy debate. The apparent dispute between the Minister and his staff over the authenticity of the tape will be of interest to all in both indigenous and immigration policy areas. We also welcome an examination of the veracity of the claim on the tape that the Minister looks after his friends.

"Australia's lazy, inhumane and incredibly costly refugee policy is based on the big lie that people seeking asylum are a threat to our security. The little lies continue to unravel slowly, but the human costs continue to mount - this week including threatened deportation of a pregnant woman from hospital", Mr Glenn said.

"Make the right choice" available at www.ajustaustralia.com explains how three changes to policy would close down the issues for the time being.